edit Just read the original post, and the poster there makes much better points, basically noting that Aid can't be divorced from the overall security plan, or

edit Just read the original post, and the poster there makes much better points, basically noting that Aid can't be divorced from the overall security plan, or it will be wasted. Restating this as "Don't build schools in Iraq" is, IMHO misleading link bait. Two points in opposition to this, #1: Most charities and NGO's that build schools also include yearly stipends to fund teachers and supplies. I don't have a cite for this with me, I'll track down a reliable source later to be sure. I know for instance that Greg Mortenson's does. Most also do independent audits every few years. #2: In many of the most isolated areas, even if they 'know how to build buildings', local custom requires gender segregation, and building a girls' school isn't a budget priority, but if someone else pays for it, families will gladly send their children to school. Some areas of rural Afghanistan and Pakistan have had skyrocketing rates of female education once additional schools were built. As with any foreign aid, throwing money at the problem isn't the answer (and lucrative large-scale construction projects rarely are either), it's how the aid is deployed and used. The most effective aid organizations are almost without fail also the ones that require the most accountability from recipients.